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Professors to talk about their experiences with foreign language

September 30, 2013

Professors to talk about their experiences with foreign language

Did you know that your engineering professor speaks fluent Spanish and has spent time living and working in South America? Or how about that your world history professor does his entire research in classical Chinese? And you probably don't know that the “English” poet in your class has a multi-lingual background, consisting of two Liberian languages and French? And have you ever wondered what it means to be an artist required to perform in multiple languages; an American academic working on Egyptian televisual media; a biologist shuttling back and forth between Altoona and Lima, Peru?

In our global world, studying a foreign language is one of the most important academic endeavors a person can undertake: it opens the door to other mindsets, histories, and cultures and can also become an integral part of a professional career.

Come hear what some of your professors have to say about their experiences with other languages. Ask questions, get their advice, and start dreaming in a foreign tongue!

The event will take place from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, in the Titelman Study of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts at Penn State Altoona. Pizza and beverages will be provided.

This event is sponsored by the World Languages at Penn State Altoona and will feature faculty members Peter Shull, Mark McNicholas, Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, Bonnie Cutsforth-Huber, Beth Seymour, and Carolyn Mahan. Contact Jutta Lorensen at jmg35@psu.edu for more information.